The Lemon Fool

I woke up very early this morning and ended up listening to a radio adaptation of 'The Ipcress File' on BBC Radio 4 Extra, complete with the music from the 1960s Michael Caine film all the way through. I didn't like it! Found it confusing, unconvincing and pretentious - and with at least one glaring 'deliberate' mistake.

In this case, comparing the film to the radio version, I think the film was miles better. It was definitely not a version of the radio play, bar a small number of recognisable scenes. If the radio version was true to the novel then, rather than the film being a version, it was as if the film had taken some central ideas and characters and worked them into a whole new story of its own. A very much pared down and concentrated version of the radio adaptation and much improved for that IMO.

Thing is I've never read the original Len Deighton novel so do not know how the radio version compares to that. Unlikely I know, but has anyone both read the original novel and heard the BBC adaptation, so they can say how they correspond? i.e. I am interested ultimately in whether the radio version or the film was more faithful to the original novel.


PS. Just done the obvious and looked up The Ipcress File on Wikipedia. By the description, the radio version was, in plot, similar to the novel and therefore very different to the film.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_IPCRESS_File

I read the novel years after watching the film
- it was pretty convoluted with what seemed unnecessary tangents; which is not how I recall the film
- I remember enjoying though

Never heard a radio adaptation
-sd

servodude wrote:I read the novel years after watching the film
- it was pretty convoluted with what seemed unnecessary tangents; which is not how I recall the film

Yes, the plot seemed to go all over the place and throw in everything - including the kitchen sink. Felt like a weird mash up between 'Farewell my Lovely' and a le Carré take off (Yep! He even got a mention, along with "James Bond"...) - perhaps it was?

Very much preferred the film.

Obviously he is an established and multi best selling author and I am not but... I've personally found l;en Deoghtopn all of the above (ie convolurted etc).

Clearly MILLIONS of others disagree with me And my witterings have been read by the prverbial three men and a dog, so Mr Deighton can resthis case